Red Markets: A Game of Economic Horror

251 Drugs and Healthcare Blood Testing Unit: BTUs range from the hacked-together, pieces-of-shit used by the military at the Recession checkpoints to newer, sleek StopLoss designs. Regardless of the cosmetics, all models answer the same question: should I shoot my friend now or later? Tomahawk: Hatchets are second only to machetes in popularity. The small axe loses points because the temptation to throw it often outweighs a Taker’s ability to do so well. Takers that don’t want to be left in front of a hungry casualty with nothing but their fists buy a backup. Warhammer: Most that succumb to “size queen syndrome” when desperately casting about for bludgeons end up dead. But those strong enough to wield the things effectively are hell on casualties.

252 Prosthetic Arm: The field of prosthetics underwent a renaissance just before the Crash. New, lightweight materials constructed ergonomic designs that could be directly grafted to the pectoral nerves of the patient, feeding signals directly into an onboard computer. Those lucky enough to have access to the technology and doctors with the expertise to install it have modded their prosthetics to fit a Taker lifestyle. Nothing says “handicapable” quite like crushing someone’s skull in your fist. Prosthetic Leg: As with any other prosthetic, learning to cope with an artificial limb takes time and patience. But with cuttingedge polymers and smart designs, the new prosthetic legs make the skilled as fast as any other Taker. Finding the technology and expertise to install it remains an expensive First Aid Kit: It won’t do shit against the Blight, but a lot can go wrong in the Loss. Nothing about Taker first aid is meant to keep you healthy. Kits are there to keep you alive, moving, and in agony until you can collapse back at the home.

253 Scent Blocker: Certain organs – the liver, the large intestine, etc – remain oddly untouched by Blight infection. Collecting viscera from slain casualties and squeezing it creates Scent Blocker, or “C-Juice” as it is sometimes called. The noxious substance reeks but does not carry the Blight. Rubbing on scent blocker allows Takers to sneak past mobs of casualties, though sight, sound, and behavior can still give the humans away. proposition, but most Takers that have lost legs the hard way have learned to never skimp on anything that helps them run away. Rations: Mechanically, rations buy-a-roll for all acts of physical exertion and represent the caloric requirements of staying alive in the Loss. The charges are spent in the moment to aid tests, and a player need never mention it to the Market unless overspending for additional bonuses. Narratively, rations are always eaten “off-screen,” before or after whatever action scene in which they come into play. No one stops a fight to scarf down on some beans; they spend charges in the moment to represent how they prepared for extreme exertion the night before. All vile acts are done to satisfy hunger. -Maksim Gorki

254 StopLoss Healthcare: On the off-chance they’re nearby and not busy, StopLoss will provide medical care to anyone with the foresight to have purchased their exorbitant medical insurance package. The corporation provides these services to all paying customers, even in the Loss. Smart Takers never confuse life saving for compassion: the only reason the corp offers such a policy is the increased chance it provides to catch Immunes in the field. Soma (Stability Vitamins): Soma is to anti-depressants as power drills are to screwdrivers. The government dumps this tranquilizing poison into Free Parking ghettos to keep the refugees from burning down the cities, but it does ease the pain… if only for a little while. Stim Sauce (Evacuation Amphetamines): Military-issue meth, issued to drivers to keep the caravans moving East during the Crash. The feds claim it’s no longer in production, but there’s enough bootleggers that the truth doesn’t really matter. Many can’t face the thought of the Loss without a little SS in their blood. After awhile, it becomes the only reason to get up in the morning.

255 Armor and AccessorIes Backpack: There’s no reason to go out if you’re not bringing something back. Even the most desperate Takers carry a backpack. Supression K-7864: Derived from the bone marrow of the Immune, along with a cocktail of dangerously caustic antiseptics and antibiotics, Supression K-7864 is the only hope for someone infected with the Blight. The shot reverts live strains into their little-understood undead state. Though the infection still perforates every tissue with Blight sinews, the live cells responsible for destroying the brain and turning people into Vectors never activate. This turns the user into Latents, humans completely riddled with the Blight’s sinew, but sill alive and rational. The shot is no promise of survival, however; the process of becoming a Latent is agonizing, and it has been said to kill many through shock alone.

256 Chainmail: If it’s good enough to defend against sharks and swords, it’ll stop casualties. However, chainmail requires constant care to replace missing links and prevent rust. Some Takers are willing to sacrifice safety to save on maintenance. “Basilisk” Body Armor: Increased fatalities from the US’s never-ending stream of bush wars finally prompted Congress to issue advanced body armor to all military personnel. Basilisk was the evolution of metamaterial prototypes capable of stopping even high-caliber rounds without hindering mobility. Due to budget cuts and logistical fuck-ups, “the future of warfare” only saw a 16% rollout before the Crash. Those lucky enough to scavenge a set off a dead DHQS soldier reap the best the military-industrial complex has to offer. Carpet Gauntlets/Greaves: The base layer of commercial carpeting – the plastic weave in which the strands are embedded – can’t be pierced by human teeth or nails. Some early Taker realized that this made the floors of most abandoned houses a goldmine of anti-casualty kevlar. Five years later, carpet gauntlets and greaves are standard equipment for a lot of Takers. Feed your left arm to the zombie, scream like hell as it bites down on the carpet, and start bashing skulls before the dumb thing goes for juicer meat. There is no armour against fate. -James Shirley

257 Kevlar: Slap one on and pray they aim center mass. Padded Gloves: It seems like a small thing, but a cut knuckle from a panicked punch has undone many a crew. Keep casualty teeth out of your skin and on the ground where they belong. Helmet: A bad idea when Latents go Vector; a good idea for every other occasion.

258 Tools Bicycle: Taker survival in the short-term is about spending. The long-term is about sustainability. Binoculars: Whether you’re walking into it, being chased by it, or getting flanked by it, see it before it sees you. Riot Shield: Some enclaves only exist today because the Fencemen trained to form a phalanx across the breach. Many Takers have brought them into the field to get some muchneeded distance from the dead.

259 Flashlight: Remember the Taker motto: “Prevent a bite with a nightlight; turn it off or heads get blown off” DDJ’s (Denial Door Jams): Before the Crash, carbon nanotubes were being manufactured en masse by the military industrial complex for a number of uses in various defense contracts. As the chaos cancelled those grand projects, some demolitions expert got the bright idea to wrap all that spare unbreakable wire around a grenade. DDJs were about the only casualty-specific ordinance distributed before the withdrawal over the Mississippi. They were used by “shudder” teams deployed to retrieve vital personnel and fortify infrastructure. After entering a building, teams would pop a DDJ to ensure no more infected joined them from the outside. Tiny harpoons would deploy from the baseplate and embed in the walls and frame, barricading the door and tangling anything that managed to breakthrough. DDJ’s are a favorite of Taker crews specializing in extermination jobs, and many enclaves have started recycling nanotubes from detonated ordinance to manufacture their own units.

260 Toolkit: It’s the Loss: everything is breaking or already broke. Come prepared. Pets Dog: Animals that try to feed off the flesh of casualties usually get eaten themselves or die from the Blight’s poison. Five years in, “man’s best friend” only survives by feasting off survivors in feral packs or remaining loyal to master. A well-trained pooch can be a lifesaver in the Loss, though. They can attack human rivals or distract casualties without much fear of being caught. Outfitted with equipment, service dogs make great scouts. Perhaps most importantly, dogs are invaluable for morale. Life over the fence might be a harrowing nightmare to the rest of the crew, but Fido is just happy for walkies. But never forget, a dog is more than another piece of equipment to invest in. Many a Taker lived through the genocide of the Crash only to put a gun in their mouth when their dog died. Electronics Kit: Basic software on minidrives, circuit boards, soldering irons, voltage meters – sometimes the best Scores require working with equipment too delicate for a simple toolbox. Takers specializing in communications and high-end security systems carefully assemble kits catered to assist with advanced electronics. Lockpicker’s Kit: If you’re lucky, the door’s locked because the idiots thought they’d be coming back one day. If you’re not, they locked it to keep what they’ve become from getting out. Either way, the noise of forced entry is a bad idea, and smart Takers know they need more to rely on than cancelled credit cards.

261 Falcon: A lot of archaic knowledge became relevant again after the Crash; perhaps none so surprising as falconry. A trained bird can hunt, scout, deliver unhackable mail, and perform a number of vital roles in a crew. A huge investment is required to train these wild animals, in time and emotional attachment.

262 Advanced ElectronIcs Dron-key: Though not quite breeching Terminator territory, AI advanced far enough before the Crash that limitedly autonomous robotic units became the norm for most military ground units. Dron-key’s were used to carry equipment, relay communications, scout, and dispose of explosives (by running into them). The recall of US forces brought a glut of dron-keys into the domestic warzone. The Loss has long since learned to hack and mod the equipment for their own needs. They may be dumb as all hell and look like cross between a pommel horse and deformed mule, but they carry your shit and don’t complain. Horse: Anything that can plow a field or carry a load without using precious fuel is valuable indeed. The fact that a loyal horse can also get you away from casualties is a nice bonus. Just don’t let the poor thing get hurt. Hearing the screams of a horse being eaten alive will forever turn a Taker’s dreams into nightmares.

263 Laptop/Pad: Ubiq’s aloft servers may still be floating up there in the stratosphere, but it don’t mean shit if you can’t access them. While hacked Specs remain the norm for many Takers because they’re hands free, the limited UI leaves something to be desired. Takers that need to hack in a hurry or spend a lot of time online usually set up their account on a more traditional device. Drone: The government tried to crack down on civilian drone use immediately after they became available and they started failing just as quickly. Drones are the primary early warning system of most enclaves and Beemail carriers are as close to a postal system as the Loss can get. If they can afford the batteries and maintenance, many Taker crews bring drones out on job to safely scout ahead.

264 Haul Scores earn bounty by attaching a price to each unit of supply (see “Scores” p. 394). These units are called Haul. If Refresh abstracts the ability to source and purchase gear, then Haul abstracts a Taker’s carrying capacity. A Taker can carry Haul equal to STR and still perform the intense physical exercise demanded by the job. Anything more than that and the Taker can’t move, or at least can’t move fast enough to escape a shuffling casualty. For instance, a Taker might be strong enough to carry a flamethrower, a shotgun, spear, kitchen sink, filing cabinet, and baby mule at the same time. But that character is going to have a hell of time rolling into cover from gunfire, pulling themselves out of Ubiq Specs: The first wearable computing device to really take off, Specs finally made good on the promise of augmented reality computing by removing the hassle and stigma. They came in a wide variety of attractive models, ranging from wire frames to sunglasses to horn-rimmed. The interface was designed to be compatible with all needs and proclivities, allowing for voice command, Ubiq On-Sight operation via specialized contact lenses, or wearable thimble inputs. The camera was ultralight and highresolution, recording on microdrives hidden in the earpieces capable of holding nearly 100 gigs without noticeable extra weight. The AR interface sported the best visual recognition software yet made by man, and open-source code made sure the app market could meet every conceivable need. And not only did the calls have the lowest drop ratio of every major provider, but onboard sensors in the frames could be fed into a computer model of the user’s face to project an accurate facial expression to the person on the other end. Specs were well on their way to replacing cell-phones… but then the apocalypse started, “terrorists” took over the servers, and everyone started using them to shoot zombies.

265 Transportation not only allows much more to be earned from a Score, it also protects from the dangerous unpredictability of Legs and provides a rolling shelter for the crew. Reliable transport would almost make the job easy... were fuel not the scarcest commodity in the world. VehIcle Effect When vehicles aren’t broken down, they close distances faster than walking, allow vehicular interactions, and carry additional weight. Mechanically, that’s all vehicles can do in Red Markets. But it’s enough; those mechanical benefits are huge. 1. Vehicles are finicky. • Five years after the Crash, most machines running at all are just barely road worthy. The body and parts were likely pieced together from the innumerable pile-ups dotting the freeways, or pulled from a garage after years of neglect. The few vehicles receiving regular use and maintenance throughout the disaster have probably run over multiple casualties, bashed through roadblocks, and weathered multiple gunshots. Unless upgraded, starting any motor in the Loss requires a Mechanics check. 2. Vehicles can skip Legs. • When using transportation, Takers can spend extra vehicle charges to skip any Leg designed to be dealt with on foot. Takers have the option of stopping and a burning train, or jumping over a crowd of zombies. Takers travel light by necessity. If Refresh abstracts the ability to source and purchase gear, then Haul abstracts a Taker’s carrying capacity. Although the Haul rating is derived from STR, it does not represent maximum physical force. It also doesn’t limit how much gear the Taker can own (see “How much can I carry?” p. 237). Haul describes the maximum amount that can be earned through the Taker’s physical labors by capping how many units of supply can be carried. The price of each unit varies, but each Taker’s capacity is limited by their STR. So, let’s say the crew is designing a Score. The Market rolls and each unit of supply costs 7 bounty. But what’s the Score for? Doesn’t matter. If the crew goes after gun parts, a Taker with STR 1 can carry 7 bounty’s worth of gun parts. But if the crew goes after bags of rice? That Taker can still only carry 7 bounty’s worth of rice. Stationary? 7 bounty’s worth of decorative paper. • Figure out the demand, in bounty, of each unit of supply. • Multiply that number by the Taker’s STR. • That’s the maximum amount of bounty the Taker can carry back from the job site. This means that, even if they achieve the maximum bounty per unit, the ability to profit from Scores is always going to be limited by how much the crew can hump on their backs. That is, unless they invest in some transportation. VehIcle Rules Moving things from point A to point B has been the primary struggle of economic production since the beginning of history. The Loss certainly doesn’t make distribution easier. Takers can carry their salvage the old fashioned way with Haul, but crews that don’t want their earnings tied to the strength of their backs need a company vehicle. Salvaged Vehicles If Takers recover a car or truck from the Loss, remember that it has been sitting unused for five years. Getting it working is a miracle, even if the PCs scavenge parts from other vehicles and somehow find tires that have yet to rot. Vehicles looted in route only last until the end of that job. If the Takers want to consistently reduce their Legs, they need to pay for a vehicle that has seen maintenance in the last decade.

266 and drilling operations still operate can’t begin to meet the Loss’s demand. Upkeep on vehicles is for replacing parts, which are still in abundance, but finding fuel is a constant struggle. 2. Charges for vehicles must be individually sourced and purchased. • Every charge put into a vehicle costs bounty. This means that it is extremely rare for a crew to have a “full tank” of 10 charges. It also means that the wheels don’t turn if someone can’t source a supply. Purchasing fuel requires a successful Networking check and bounty in hand: no one gives fuel out on credit. 3. The price per charge depends on the vehicle’s fuel demand. • The number recorded as the vehicle’s fuel demand is the cost per charge for that vehicle. In general, the bigger and more specialized the vehicle, the higher the cost. The bounty cost per charge can fluctuate depending on upgrades installed. 4. Charges are spent to start a Leg, and charges are spent to skip a Vehicle Leg. • To get to the next Leg, a vehicle must spend a charge of fuel. For typical Loss encounters, Takers can choose to stop and engage, or they can speed on by to the next Leg. If the Leg is a Vehicle Leg (meaning an encounter specifically designed to stop a vehicle), another charge must be spent to “go around” the obstacle. If the encounter isn’t stationary – such as a motorized group of pirates – escape from the vehicle encounter might not be possible without other skill checks. VehIcle OwnershIp and Upkeep The cost of fueling and repairing a vehicle is too much for most Takers to afford on their own. Therefore, the whole crew shares the burden of maintaining transportation. Vehicles are “company property.” This means... engaging with the encounter, but their wheels can get them away. This allows Takers to arrive at the job site rested and uninjured, which rarely happens to crews on foot. 3. Vehicles make certain scenes possible. • In the contest between man and machine... there is no contest. If the cultists kidnapping your son have a car and your character does not, they get away. If you have a vehicle too, now it’s a chase. If raiders ram a character fleeing across the desert, that person is really dead. If the character is in a vehicle, it’s just some damage. Vehicles allow PCs to interact with aspects of the environment that would otherwise just run away or run them over. 4. Vehicles increase available Haul • On a Score, each character can carry Haul equalling STR. But in a vehicle? Takers can carry their normal Haul, plus any carrying capacity in the vehicle not occupied by passengers. A three-person crew capable of 2 Haul each can make, at maximum demand, 60 bounty off of a Score. Another three-person crew, driving a semi, could theoretically make 170 bounty off the same job. VehIcle Charges and Fuel Charges on a vehicle represent fuel. It can be any kind of fuel – gasoline, biodiesel, batteries – but the charges keep the vehicle moving. No charges? No go. This doesn’t differ from the narrative interpretation of charges on all other gear, but vehicle charges operate differently in some significant ways. 1. Upkeep only prevents malfunction. It doesn’t refresh charges. • Energy is expensive in the Loss. If it’s renewable (such as solar and wind power), the wait list to hook up to the generators is wildly long. If it’s fossil fuel, the supply can literally only go down. What few refinery

267 A vehicle’s increased carrying capacity, however, is an unqualified benefit. More often than not, Takers have to leave valuable goods behind when out on a Score; they can only carry so much and still deal with the dangers of the Loss. A vehicle significantly increases the efficiency of each trip. 1. Passengers take up one Haul. • For every person riding in a vehicle, subtract one off its Haul. • Remaining vehicle Haul adds to a crew’s total Haul. • Imagine a crew buys a Jeep. The vehicle has 7 Haul. Now, a crew of three Takers, each with STR 3, would be able to carry 9 Haul; it wouldn’t make sense to take a Jeep when they could carry more by hand. However, only passengers count against Haul, not passengers and what they are carrying. The vehicle, after accounting for passengers, would still add 4 Haul to their potential gains. This means the crew could salvage 13 Haul’s worth of goods with the Jeep, as opposed to 9 Haul carried by hand. VehIcle Upgrades All vehicles have six possible upgrades. Each upgrade may only be purchased once. Each vehicle is limited to three upgrades. These upgrades also have multiple effects, usually related to how they alter fuel demand or upkeep. Purchasing and installing upgrades is done normally. Each upgrade costs one bounty, but can be lost in malfunction rolls. The available upgrades are... 1. Off-road • Burn a charge to skip an encounter despite obstructions or off-road conditions. • Fuel Demand increases by 1 bounty. 2. Reliable • Vehicle does not require a Mechanics check to start. • Upkeep increases by 2 bounty 1. Vehicles may not be purchased at character creation. • The price for working transportation is always upkeep x 2. Takers don’t receive the half-off discount of character creation when buying a car. Furthermore, it’s just a good idea to hold off on investing in a major piece of company equipment until the crew has a better conception of its particular brand. If the crew needs a vehicle for a one-shot, the Market can provide one, but purchase should otherwise remain a major company decision made by all the PCs. 2. Vehicle upkeep and purchase price is deducted from the Score or contract. • Whenever calculating the bounty earned from a contract, automatically deduct the price of any vehicles the group plans to purchase or needs to upkeep. The remainder is split amongst the crew into equal shares. If the car lets you do business, the car gets fed before you. 3. Vehicles don’t factor into negotiation until expenses. • The upkeep price of a vehicle doesn’t enter into contract negotiations until expenses get paid, same as any other type of gear. Unless the client has been totally fleeced, owning a vehicle always cuts into the bottom line. VehIcle Haul Vehicles almost always cost, but they might save capital by decreasing the risk to Takers. Conflict avoided by skipping Legs translates into bounty saved in healing, Humanity, and favors. However, these savings are offset by the gains potentially lost skipping Legs. No risk means no rewards. Money doesn’t change men, it merely unmasks them. If a man is naturally selfish or arrogant or greedy, the money brings that out, that’s all. -Henry Ford

268 VehIcle LIst Make, model, look, paint job, and any other cosmetic accessories are entirely up to the crew. They can ride around in whatever they think would look cool or fitting for the upgrades. Mechanically, these descriptions have no bearing on the game besides making the setting more fun and immersive for the group. Markets should encourage player creativity and emotional investment: it makes the Humanity damage all the worse when the thing blows up later. Here are the vehicle types Red Markets currently supports. Copy the essential stats and upgrades into the space provided on the crew sheet. 3. Armored • Vehicle counts as cover in combat • No attacks can do damage to the vehicle unless they carry the explosive or armorpiercing upgrade. • Fuel Demand increases by 1 bounty 4. Alternative Fuel • Vehicle uses solar panels, electricity, biodiesel, or other renewable energy for fuel • Fuel Demand decreases by 1 bounty 5. Optimized Load • Vehicle gains +2 Haul • Fuel demand increases by 1 bounty 6. Juiced • Vehicle’s superior horsepower and handling provides a static +2 Drive bonus • Fuel Demand increases by 1 bounty

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271 checks to avoid attacks instead. If people scrape sides, it’s cinematic and looks cool, but no dice need to be rolled unless the Taker’s vehicle is disabled. As for chases, Drive gets characters closer or further away, depending on the preferences of the person making a check. Drive is also the skill for stopping a pursued vehicle with some artful ramming, and it’s used for performing death-defying stunts. There’s no need to keep track of complex distances, speeds, and variables for physics problems. The Market declares what is happening, the players make their check, and the characters react. That’s it. The only mistake to avoid would be bogging down one of the most tense, climactic scenes of the game (like...say, a car chase) with an excess of rules lawyering and dice checks. Keep it simple; keep it fast. VehIcle Combat and Chases If you need help calculating how much damage is done in a car crash, see “Weird Damage” in the Combat chapter (p. 283). Otherwise, suffice it to say that firing weapons and jumping onto moving cars are really bad ideas in reality, and really fun in make believe. Red Markets has no intention of letting reality ruin our fun. This means that combat amongst vehicles is treated like any other combat: tactics and twitches resort to the character’s skills. If someone wants to jump onboard a moving train, tell them if they are close enough and, if so, call for an Athletics check. There’s no factoring in variable speeds and distance and blah blah blah. Most cars aren’t bulletproof (except for those with the Armored upgrade), so resolve firearm damage as normal. The Market is free to forbid twitches to dodge if a character is strapped in, but the driver could make Drive

272 make a check to prevent it. For instance, if a soldier is about to shoot one of the characters, the Market doesn’t have to do anything to see if the soldier succeeds. The player makes an Athletics check to dodge. On a success, the bullet misses its mark. On a failure, the shot lands. Similarly, if a player tries to attack, the Market doesn’t waste time rolling to see if some random thug dodged; the success or failure of the player’s attack check determines the outcome entirely. With a few exceptions (see “Market Dice Checks” p. 176), the Market doesn’t make dice checks in a conflict. The Market never checks for success because the person running the game represents the weight of history: the combined forces of the economy, opposing and assisting the characters. Takers either succeed in overcoming the Market’s Forces for the moment, fail, or they’re too exhausted to even try. Combat In many instances, a fight to death with the casualties is the best-case scenario; humans are still the deadliest animals on the planet. Facing down the undead is a unique proposition, which is why casualties and Vectors have their own rules (p. 295). The combat rules in Red Markets seek to emulate the terror, suddenness, and confusion of armed conflict with other human beings, be they soldiers, believers, raiders, or other crews. What follows is a description of the basic combat mechanics, order of operations, damage penalties, and special maneuvers. For rules on running combat as the Market, see “Market Forces” (p. 291) The Market WIll WIn The Market always succeeds if uncontested. This means whatever the Market declares will happen, does happen unless the players

273 • Full defense (converting a tactic to a twitch) • Full offense (converting the twitch to a second tactic, which occurs at the end of the initiative order) Tactics resolves in initiative order, as explained later. Initiative order has a lot of power to determine tactics: checks the player planned on making might be invalidated or rendered impossible by events taking place earlier in the initiative order. Tactics near the beginning of the order can set the tone of the entire battle. TwItch A twitch isn’t planned. It’s an animal instinct that goes off when prompted, such as the hint of motion out of the corner of an eye causing a spastic dodge. Since a twitch is so fast and prompted by the Market’s forces, it’s use is limited to... The Economy of ActIons When combat starts, dice checks get recategorized into four types of actions: tactic, twitch, freebie, and task. The categorizations approximate how much time an action takes and when it occurs in the initiative order. What follows is an explanation of the action types; initiative is explained later in “The Combat Round” (p. 275). TactIc A tactic is a planned action. It may not be planned particularly well, but it is something the Taker intends to do. Example tactics are... • Firing a weapon • Making a Melee or Unarmed attack • Drawing or holstering a weapon • Running to cover • Reloading a weapon or refreshing charges on other gear • Administering First Aid • Barricading a door

274 (Awareness), nobody has the time to complete a Where’s Waldo? book in the middle of combat. Task Tasks require a long-time, at least relative to the pace of combat. A single combat round represents a few frenetic seconds of bloodshed and terror. That’s usually not enough time to pick a lock, hot-wire a car, or bandage a wound, but the situation might demand such concentration despite distractions like shrapnel and arterial spray. When performing a task, the Market quotes the number of uninterrupted combat rounds required to attempt a check OR the number of successful checks required to complete the task (never both, unless the whole group likes constantly rolling dice and failing). Sometimes, a task might not require a check at all, but the time it eats up still means a lot in a firefight. The Market stipulates whether the player’s task requires uninterrupted focus or merely cumulative focus. For instance, battlefield surgery can’t be stopped for the doctor to return fire – the Market might say it requires two rounds uninterrupted before the player can make a single Profession: Surgeon check to determine success. On the other hand, somebody chopping down a door with an axe can spare one swing for the casualty that strays too close – in this instance, the Market might require two successful Melee checks before the door breaks, but successes don’t have to occur concurrently. • Make an Athletics check to dodge attacks • Make an Athletics check to get under cover • Block an incoming Melee or Unarmed attack • Recover from knockback • Quick draw an item by dropping previously held gear • Reload or perform another quick action, as allowed by a specific gear’s upgrade A twitch is entirely defensive. Its power comes from being unbound by the initiative order. After spending a twitch, a player can make a skill check immediately, no matter where their tactic lies in the initiative order. So, although Angel might not act until last in the initiative order, she can spend her twitch to get behind cover so all the Market forces acting before her can’t declare attacks. Each character only gets one twitch per combat round. If Market forces declare an attack and the target player doesn’t have a twitch to spend, the attack hits automatically (see “Market Dice Checks” p. 176). FreebIes Freebies include intellectual and verbal actions that can be carried out while performing tactics and twitches, or whenever the Taker chooses. Characters get one freebie per combat round. Some examples of freebies include... • Foresight checks to get tactical information • Awareness checks to spot something • Shouting, whispering, or CHA skill checks where appropriate • Self-Control tests called for by the Market • Command using Profession: Animal Handling or Profession: Drones The Market isn’t obligated to allow a soliloquy in the middle of knife fight, though barking “Get down!” is fine and wouldn’t require a check. And while it might be possible to see where the raiders are flanking from Modern war is a cyborg orgy. -Donna Haraway

275 the 1 is dropped and the initiative order established). 2. Declare, Spend, and Resolve • The highest initiative player or Market force declares a tactic, buys-a-roll, and resolves the action. • As the round continues, twitches and freebies are demanded by the actions of Market forces or used at the discretion of the player. Both twitches and freebies are unbound in the initiative order. 3. Deal Damage and Assess Penalties • Damage is recorded directly after the tactic that caused it. Damage is always the Black. Hit location is always the Red. The weapon used determines if the damage is Kill or Stun damage. The damage is unmodified by extra spends unless the gear is specifically upgraded. • If using the Bust Rule: Random Damage (p. 281), the Market rolls Black/Red to determine how much damage the PC takes rather than using the results of a failed twitch. • Assess and implement any penalties as a result of health or Humanity loss. 4. Repeat • After everyone has acted, the combat round ends. Twitches unspent by the end of the round are discarded (unless the character is specifically using upgraded gear that allows them to be spent). The initiative order cycles back to the highest player and repeats until the conflict ends. InItIatIve Unlike other dice checks in Red Markets, initiative is not a success or failure check. Rolling initiative means rolling a single d10 upon which the character’s Speed is added. The person with the highest number goes first. But what happens to the Red dice? The Market needs to determine what order their forces act just like the players, so initiative is one of the only times the Finally, maybe the task is too simple to warrant using the dice. Cranking a generator might require two rounds spent on the task, but failing to grasp a handle isn’t an interesting or reasonable way to fail, so the Market doesn’t require a check at all. Freebies don’t interrupt tasks, but tactics and twitches do. Thankfully, Takers engaged in tasks can be in cover at the same time, but they have to trust their coworkers to keep them from getting flanked and killed. In short, to perform a task, forgo all other actions except screaming for the crew to help. The Combat Round A combat round is defined by the number of actions that can be performed by each PC (one tactic, twitch, and freebie, or one task and one freebie) and the order in which those actions happen, called the initiative order. Other than those two traits, a combat round has no definitive limits. In terms of time, one combat round is usefully vague enough to allow the group more storytelling options. Groups are free to narrate fights in a style befitting the painstaking slow-mo of a John Woo shootout, or they can opt for a sudden, second-long burst of bloodshed ala a Tarantino standoff. For ease of reference, here’s a summary of the combat round: 1. Initiative • The Market rolls one Red die for every Market force involved in the combat. • Players roll one Black die each and add their SPD. • Players declare from highest to lowest numbers, after their SPD is added. The Market uses Red dice from the pool to place Market forces in-between their numbers. This is called the initiative order. (For instance, the players rolled and the Market got a 10, 4, and 1. Bill goes first with 11, Thug A goes next with a 10, Melanie got an 8, DeMarcus 7, Thug B goes at 4. The Market is out of forces, so

276 Gnat’s player gets B8+1 for a B9 BanHammer’s player gets B9+3 for a B12 Monk’s player rolls a B4+2 for a B6 The Market rolls 3 Reds (1 for each combatant) for a 10, 10, 7 Looks like BanHammer is going first: nothing the Market has can beat a 12. Then two of the rival crew – Baddie A and B – are going to go at the same time with 10’s. Gnat’s 9 is up next, then the R7, and finally Monk. So the order for the fight is going to be BanHammer, Baddie A, Baddie B, Gnat, Baddie C, and Monk. Market rolls dice in combat. Before combat begins, the Market rolls one Red die for every NPC or Market force involved in the combat, minimum the number of players in the combat. For instance, if the Market has two NPCs opposing a three-player crew, the Market still rolls three Red dice. All the Reds are rolled at once and left on the table in a pool. The players roll only their Black and add their SPD. The Market then asks who has the highest number. In decreasing order, the Market records the character names in the order they act. At this point, the Red dice come into play. The Red dice are spent to insert Market forces into the initiative order. Example: It’s an even fight: Gnat, BanHammer, and Monk battle against a rival crew willing to kill to steal their contract. The Market has a pool of three Reds (one for each member of the crew, and enough for all the Market forces). Everybody rolls. Only the players add initiative modifiers to their dice.

277 Notice that the PCs always have a slight edge on Market forces because they can have initiative scores above a ten using their modifiers. This is because, despite all their struggles, Takers are our heroes, cooler and more capable than your average human being. But as a counterbalance, the Market either outnumbers the players or has more numbers to choose from, representing the endless tide of obstacles facing the PCs. The Market never adds a SPD modifier to forces unless they badass enough to have an advantage (see p. 292). Once the initiative order is established, it’s recycled every combat round until until a player spends a point of Will to jump to the top of the order or one side is killed, disabled, or withdraws. Declare, Spend, Resolve Players declare what they are going to use for their tactic in the order of initiative. Nobody has to declare simultaneously unless they are What about ties? If initiative scores are exactly the same (whether due to natural or modified dice), the two characters act at the same time. Narratively, this can make for bloody shootouts or comical double knockouts, but such things happen in the chaos of violence. Mechanically, actions on the same initiative merely resolve at the same time and ignore penalties. For example, if a Taker shoots on initiative 5 and a raider shoots on a 4, the raider might never get to act. The damage of the blow might kill or disable the foe before there’s a chance to retaliate. Alternately, if the Taker AND the raider are on initiative 5, the Taker could blow the raider’s brains out and the raider could still get an attack off before death. In this example, the two characters could easily kill each other and not hit the ground until the initiative counts down to 4. AlternatIve InItIatIve If players want each round of combat as chaotic as the last, consider these alternative initiative rules. Bust: Individual initiative: The Market pairs off forces with individual PCs. To keep things simple, the Market resolves actions from left-to-right. Each player rolls Black + SPD. The Market, in descending numerical order, then has each player make a Black + SPD/Red check against each opponent. Success moves the character ahead of an opponent, failure after them. So, if Han is fighting two cultists and rolls a success and failure, then Cultist A would act first, then Han, and finally Cultist B. Once resolved, the Market would move to the next player down the list to see what is happening to Han’s teammate during that the same time. This makes combat a simultaneous fit of individual struggles that is, paradoxically, easier for the Market to track. It does, however, greatly increase the power of numbers, as one PC falling will then throw all of the forces attention on another Taker. Boom: The Last Shall Be First: In this variant, the initiative order reshuffles every round. The PC or NPC unfortunate enough to be last gets to use two tactics in a row: one as the last action of the previous round, the second as the first action of the next round. If the first round order is A, B, C, D, the second round is ordered D, A, B, C. Other than cycling the slowest character to the top, nothing else changes: the rest of the order stays the same and everyone’s actions refresh as normal. This alternative minimizes the amount of dice and bookkeeping the Market must deal with while still adding more variation to the tactical picture. The lowest initiative number becomes a desirable spot for players and a high-value target for Market Forces. Bust: Fog of War: By rerolling for initiative at the top of every round, combat remains utterly unpredictable. This variant means players have to constantly pay attention, adapt, and think on their feet. That said, randomly ordering every round can sometimes result in farcical or murderously difficult challenges, depending on where the dice land. Furthermore, rolling for initiative every round slows down gameplay and demands more bookkeeping from the Market.

278 so twitches are limited in number and scope. A character only gets one twitch per combat round, and it can only be used when prompted by Market forces. Furthermore, any twitches not used by the end of the round are wasted. Whether characters succeed or fail their checks, no second twitch is provided. A Taker that dodged an arrow is too distracted to duck a sword strike. Bumbling into automatic gunfire means the second and third bursts hit as well. When a Market force declares a tactic against a PC that has no twitches remaining, the Market checks for hit location and damage, or the player may be asked to determine their own fate. Either way, when the twitch is already spent, any action declared against that PC succeeds. There are special moves characters can use to convert twitches into tactics, burn them for special effects, or earn another twitch, but these combat maneuvers are tied to the initiative order and their effects only take place after that players turn. Like twitches, freebies can go anywhere a player wishes in the initiative order, but each character is limited to one. A character can scream a warning, but there’s not enough time for a lecture. They can assess the scene, but no one is going to sketch a map with casualties closing in. Assess PenaltIes Characters do not take the penalties for injuries until after the initiative order in which they are sustained. Once the initiative ticks down by even one number, the penalties are assessed according to the Hit Location Table (see “Hit Locations and Damage” p. 280) and applied to any following tactics or twitches. Narratively, this brief pause represents the adrenaline rush fading and surprising combatants with the knowledge that they’ve been fighting with a wound for the past few seconds. Most of the time, penalties in combat are going to take the form of Self-Control checks to maintain Humanity (see p. 310). Only one type of check can be made per combat. working off the exact same initiative number. In such instances, who actually says what they are doing first means little because the actions resolve at the same time regardless (see “What about ties?” p. 277). One of the few benefits of being slow on initiative is the ability to see what others are doing before deciding one’s own tactics. NPC’s do the same, though instead of spending for bonuses or rolling, the declaration either demands characters use their twitch or instantly resolves. Before a player makes a check for a declared tactic, they must spend to buy-a-roll. This could be a charge of rations for a STR or SPD skill, or a charge required to use a piece of gear. If using charged gear to buy-a-roll, the player can also spend additional charges to add +1’s to their check (see “Charges” p. 179); these charges must be spent before the check. When the tactic is declared and the charges spent, the dice are rolled and resolved. Resolution means that the numbers on the dice affect the narrative and alter the character sheet. A missed attack doesn’t require much resolution besides describing how it missed, but a successful attack warrants a description of where and how the blow struck. Resolution is an opportunity for both the Market and players to craft a suspenseful story in which their characters excel or fold under pressure. TwItches and FreebIes A twitch is compelled by the Market’s forces. NPCs don’t succeed in an attack; Takers fail to dodge. When the Market declares an NPC’s tactic, it automatically succeeds unless the player can do something about it. That’s where twitches come in. A twitch is the knee-jerk reaction that can save or doom a character’s life. Spend the twitch on a successful Athletics check to duck under cover just in time; if the check fails, the character jumps right into the bullet’s path. Because twitches are compelled by Market forces, they can go anywhere in the initiative order. This flexibility is immensely powerful,

279 on their actions, and the battle continues until one side wins, escapes, or manages to negotiate a peace. Movement Red Markets does not require hex spaces, maps, or distance per action ratios to keep track of where characters are in the environment. Groups that are invested in that type of play can easily adapt these rules to fit their brand of fun, but the game is only designed to provide the minimum amount of objective spatial information. Players know enough to make decisions based on where their characters are in relation to others and any objectives, but that’s about it. Usefully Vague How far can a successful Athletics check take you? How many seconds to run to cover? Exactly how many feet long is that spear? The answer for all these questions and more is the same: as long as is narratively convenient. Notice the term “narratively convenient” is NOT the same as personally convenient; the only characters with superpowers in the setting are trying to eat you. When performing an action in which time, distance, and speed is a factor, players can ask the Market to describe the stakes as much as they deem necessary. Trust the Market to quote reasonable distances and plausible times that keep combat exciting. Narrative convenience can swing a player’s way as well. If a player asks if there is a crane in the shipping yard that could smash that Aberrant, the Market should always strive to reward such engagement with the setting. Players dictating set pieces to the Market doesn’t have to work every time – dice checks can still be required, stipulations made, and absurdities dismissed – but badass stunts are the kind of thing everybody wants from protagonists. Stipulating that the player can’t climb into the crane’s control room because his movement rate is one hex too slow is the kind of spoilsport gaming that can kill a cool moment. Nobody has to worry about taking Humanity hits in the same Threat track after the first check, and this keeps the assessing penalties stage from dragging on endlessly. To return to the example... Penalties Example: BanHammer got hit hard last round. That’s going to mean Trauma damage if he doesn’t make the Self-Control check. BanHammer has Self-Control at 0 (he’s not known for his restraint). He defaults to his ADP of 2, but rolls over. He takes a hit on the Trauma track. Oh no! That’s a crack! BanHammer’s player wants to stay in the fight, so he chooses the...well, the Fight option. BanHammer is now berserk and remains so for the rest of the scene. Repeat Unless the group is using the Alternative Initiative Rules, the order cycles back to the top after the last tactic is resolved. All twitches are discarded, everyone gets refreshes

280 If they don’t have the rations to spend, each gassed character’s usable charges stay at the SPD rating until they sleep, eat, and rehydrate. Waiting around for a full refresh isn’t an option; bodies that must perform must be fed and rested. If no rations are waiting for breakfast, characters take 1 Stun damage to every location due to starvation. If the characters don’t get any food the next day or Leg either (whatever comes first), add two more Stun boxes to each location. On day three, take three Stun damage everywhere. Continue until immobilized or fed, and don’t forget the Humanity damage that results from starving. Stun damage keeps progressively increasing until food is found or the character dies. The Stun damage taken must be healed normally. More information on the dangers of starving and how they manifest outside of combat can be found in “Weird Damage” p. 283. HIt LocatIons and Damage In Red Markets, the amount of damage inflicted is always determined by the natural Black, and the location is always determined by the natural Red. Spend nine charges blasting away with a gun to turn a B1/R6 into a B1+9/R6 success? Great, but it’s still just one damage done to the left arm. The same dice are used to calculate damage on failed rolls during twitches. If a PC fails an Athletics check with B5+3/R9, five points of damage goes to the torso; the damage doesn’t go up on account of the Taker wisely trying to get away with extra rations charges and skill. Fail a dodge on B9/R9? Ouch. That’s 18 points of damage to the chest (9 damage to hit location 9, multiplied by a critical failure). There are two types of damage: Stun and Kill. Stun damage constitutes bruising, numbness, blunt trauma, muscle fatigue, and other non-bleeding damage. Kill damage constitutes broken bones, punctures, lacerations, poisoning, and serious internal injury. The damage type inflicted UsIng RatIons When performing physical actions (such as Melee, Unarmed, Resistance or Athletics), charges of rations must be spent to buy-a-roll. Additional rations charges can be spent to add +1 at a one-for-one ratio. For instance, spending one charge to buy an Athletics check adds the character’s skill to Black, but spending two charges adds the character’s skill+1. If a character runs out of rations, they are gassed (see below) and cannot buy-a-roll for physical skills until they refresh charges. A full combat round spent resting restores a number of charges equal to the character’s SPD, but this only works once. For example, a Taker with SPD 3 can rest to gain three free charges of “rations” (in reality, burning fat stores), but a second round of rest does not add three more charges. Until rations are refreshed, the Taker has only three charges to spend on all physical actions before they become gassed again. Charges from rations get spent in the moment, but the narrative understands the charges to represent a healthy caloric intake before and after combat. Nobody is stopping the fight to scarf down canned goods; the charges represent a healthy diet in calm times and the resulting financial burden of preventing starvation. GettIng Gassed, StarvIng, and PushIng On If a character runs out of rations, they are considered “gassed,” meaning totally exhausted, winded, and unable to continue at the pace the conflict demands. They can’t make any physical actions that round aside from slowly trotting or lifting light items, even as a twitch. Once a round has gone by without the character taking any physical actions or being hit, characters regain a number of charges equal to their Speed. If they have rations, getting gassed can be prevented so long as they keep spending charges off that gear. Refreshing is a free action so long as the character has the remaining ADP points to do it.

281 BleedIng Out If an extremity is filled with Kill damage, the sufferer is bleeding out. Every turn they go without healing, they take 1d10 Kill damage per round. The Taker may choose which locations the hit points come from, but the Kill damage must be healed like any other damage. Filling the torso or head as a result of blood loss results in death. A First Aid check can be made to stop the bleeding. See below. HealIng In the FIeld Characters with First Aid or training in Profession: Doctor and the proper gear can heal some damage done in combat. A successful check heals a number of Stun boxes equal to the natural Black of the check (spent charges just indicate a greater chance of success, not better medical skill). Kill boxes are reduced to Stun boxes at the same rate, meaning 2 profit is needed for every Kill is determined by the weapon used and any upgrades it might have. Indicate Stun damage with a diagonal slash ( / ) in a box. Indicate Kill damage with an ( X ). Every character has 10 hit boxes per location, except for the torso, which has 20. If a hit location is filled up with any combination of Stun and Killing damage, there are consequences. Stun or Kill damage inflicted to a location already filled with Stun damage becomes Kill damage (turn a diagonal into an X). When a location is filled entirely with Killing, the consequences get more severe. Bust Rule: Random Damage Using the failure of player rolls to determine damage minimizes dice checks, but it favors Takers with light damage (low Black) to the torso and head (high Red). Conversely, Takers amputate a lot of legs and arms (high Black for damage, low Red for location). Normally, the only time the Market rolls in combat is to determine initiative order and calculate damage when a Taker has no twitch to contest an attack (see “Market Dice Checks” p. 176). For groups that want more dynamic and deadly combat, the Market can check Black/Red for every hit. Random damage rolls don’t slow the game down too much, and they raise the stakes of combat even higher. Think about how often the Market should be rolling before adopting this alternate rule. If the Market rolls every time a Taker is hit and the dice land B10/R10, it’s time to make a new character... even if it was their last day before retirement. If the Market rolls for damage every time the player hits and it lands B1/R5, all emptying the clip accomplished was lightly grazing the enemy’s arm. Market rolls against Takers make the game much more deadly; Market rolls against NPCs makes combat more frustrating. Groups should make sure they know what particular flavor of gameplay they’re inviting in before adopting alternative random damage rules. Bust Rule: AlternatIve HIt Boxes Tired of taking and dealing leg damage? Scratch out the numbers listed on the character sheet and fill the following numbers into the “Alt.” Box. Right Leg: 1 Left Leg: 2 Right Arm: 3 Left Arm: 4 Torso: 5-9 Head: 10 Now everyone knows to aim center mass. There’s less chance of leg damage than before, but now 60% of all hits land in a kill location. Being hobbled might not sound so bad when a bullet tears through your character’s heart, so make sure everyone is up to the challenge before altering the hit boxes, especially if using this rule in tandem with the random damage rule.

282 Death Filling the torso or head (locations 7-9 or 10) with Kill damage kills a character through cardiac failure, blood loss, brain trauma, or some combination of the three. Some weapons can do this in one hit. This makes for a deadlier game than some players prefer, so there are Boom rules for mitigating such sudden damage. box completely removed. In narrative terms, this healing is represented in painkillers, coagulants, bandages, and the other trappings of field medicine. First Aid checks are one-and-done per Taker, per location. For instance, a healer couldn’t possibly get someone with a filled torso back to full health while the bullets were flying unless the injuries were light to begin with. However, they could work on the fighter’s torso one round, and then try to repair the fighter’s arm on the next. A skilled friend could check the suture work later and make their own First Aid check on the injured torso, but the previous medic has already done all they can do. The only way to succeed a failed First Aid check is to succeed at cost, either by using a point of Will or, if time allows and technology is available, tapping a Reference to consult on the procedure. Beyond that, healers can’t take any more action on a body part until it is filled with brand new injuries. Additional treatments require the care of a doctor and rest in a safe place. Bust Rule: Permanent Damage Serious wounds rarely leave no lasting effects, especially considering the kind of care available in the Loss. If an arm or leg is filled completely with Kill damage, the Market rolls Black/ Red with no modifiers. On a critical success, the Takers can heal all hit boxes in the limb normally. On a success, the Taker permanently loses a hit box from that hit location. Completely color in that box with pen to represent the permanent damage left by the injury. On a failure, the limb permanently loses two hit boxes. On a critical failure, three hit boxes.

283 players the exact speed, but if something goes wrong, the consequences shouldn’t come to players as a surprise. In terms of calculating damage, don’t bother with it at all if the narrative speed allows for the vehicle’s survival. If the car can still run, focus on narrating the Road Warrior-esque battle the Takers are having with the raider caravan or whatever. If the wreck is bad enough to stop the ride, even temporarily, then the Market calculates damage to the characters based on the estimated vehicle speed when the collision occurred. Fender-bender: all passengers take 1d10 Stun to a single hit location. Whiplash: all passengers take 1d10 Stun to all hit locations Total-out: all passengers take 1d10 Kill to a single hit location Disaster: all passengers take 1d10 Kill to all hit locations Conflagration: all passengers die The Market should make sure that the players know how fast they are driving and have chances to use their Skills to avoid a wreck. Putting the pedal to the floor is a choice – one with risks and rewards – so make sure the PCs know the stakes. FallIng There are two types of falls: leaps and tumbles. Characters leap of their own accord. They know it will likely hurt when they land, but it’s preferable to the zombies, flames, bullets, or whatever else is chasing them. When a character leaps, the damage of falling is taken on the legs only. Roll Black and Red. The player picks the lowest number and inflicts the damage to both limbs. So a B4/R6 would do 4 damage to each leg. Whether the damage was Kill or Stun would depends on the height. But most people that fall from great heights would prefer not to. These are called tumbles. Characters tumble when they lose their WeIrd Damage The Loss contains a variety of dangers beyond direct warfare. Here are some guidelines for inflicting weirder types of damage on the players. CollIsIon Car crashes in Red Markets should only be two things: fast and cinematic. To stay fast, there’s no calculating the speed of vehicles and doing physics equations to figure out damage. Like films, vehicles move at a narrative speed rather than a physical one. The Market narrates how fast the vehicle feels to the PCs. They can use actual readings on the speedometer if everyone feels that is important, but the main goal of the Market during a vehicle scene is to make sure characters know what kind of risk the characters are taking. If a fight between cars is lazily circling a parking lot where the biggest consequence for falling out of the car would be a twisted ankle, the Market should let that be known. If the vechiles are going so fast that one pothole could send the whole thing tumbling through the air, make it known. The Market doesn’t have to tell Boom Rules Will to Live: Spending a point of Will can shift damage that would go to the head to the torso. It can also keep an incapacitated player alive for one round longer. Lucky X: Spending a point of Will can shift damage from any hit location to a piece of gear. The equipment and all its upgrades are completely destroyed, but the damage doesn’t affect the Taker. Players and Market’s should take care to keep the lucky intervention of objects cinematic and not goofy. It’s one thing if the frame of some Uniq Specs deflects a low-caliber bullet; it’s quite another if someone argues that a flashlight could deflect all a grenade’s shrapnel.

284 Using the above example, neurological substances work the same way except the destination is the head. The second round’s damage would bleed over into the head, rather than the torso. What happens to the hit boxes? It depends on what the substance is meant to do. A tranquilizer would fill the head with specialty damage units until the Taker passed out. So, as the Market rolled d10s to move the damage to the head, they would fill hit boxes with check marks to trace the path of the contaminant. Once the Taker passes out, the check marks are erased because the drug’s narrative effect has been achieved. If the drug is a weak poison or paralytic, the 1d10 hit boxes might use stun damage to move to the brain or heart, continuing to fill the vital boxes until the Taker is gassed or unconscious. A deadly poison would keep going until all the Stun damage was upgraded to Kill and the Taker died. These methods of tracking poison and drugs are only really necessary for timesensitive scenes such as combat. If a Taker gets dosed with something outside of direct conflict, Markets are advised to treat the scene narratively or to use Skill checks. SuffocatIon If a Taker can’t breathe – due to being underwater, immersed in a gas, choked in a grapple, etc. – they have a number of rounds equal to their SPD before any negative effects occur. After that, Takers receive 1d10 Stun damage per round to the torso (location 7-9). If the torso is filled up with Stun/Kill damage and the Taker still can’t get air, the excess damage bleeds over into the head (location 10). If the head gets filled up, the Taker falls unconscious and the 1d10 damage per round starts turning the head’s Stun boxes into Kill damage. At this point, the Taker either gets a breath or dies when the head fills up. Once allowed to breath, all Stun damage taken from suffocation is erased automatically. Any Kill damage resulting from suffocation must be healed normally. footing or suffer knockback on a precipice. The damage taken from a tumble occurs to two random hit locations. The damage is rolled separately for each hit location to represent an off-balance landing. A tumbling character might roll B5/R10 and B6/R2. That would be five damage to the head and another six to the right leg as the character bounces off the deck. Stun vs. Kill would again depend on distance. There are three distances a character can fall from... Considerable: both hit locations take 1d10 Stun damage Impressive: both hit locations take 1d10 Kill damage Suicidal: both hit locations take 1d10 Kill and Stun damage. InfectIon The mechanics of Blight infection are explained in-depth in “Blight: Casualties and Vectors” p. 295. PoIson/Drugs Beyond a few drugs specific to the setting, there aren’t many chemicals stated out in Red Markets. Groups are encouraged to make up their own deadly concoctions or research real world chemicals if they want some insidious poisoners in their game. Regardless, poison or drugs come in just two varieties: vascular and neurological. Vascular substances target the torso. Starting at whatever hit location is used to inject the chemical, the drug “crawls” through the bloodstream to reach the torso hit boxes at 1d10 boxes per round. So if someone gets injected in the arm, let’s assume the Market rolls a B6 for the poison. That means the first six boxes of the arm get filled. If the dice land B6 again the next round, the other four hit boxes in arm fill up, and the remaining two moves to the torso as the poison crawls towards the heart. Essentially, a vascular poison does damage like the “Bleeding Out” status effect.

285 design, such as with an ambush. Once in cover, no attacks can be declared against that player. Similarly, any attacks against NPCs in cover miss. The effects are voided the moment the character in cover makes an attack or moves out of cover. After that, they are fair game for the rest of the round and they must make an Athletics check to duck back down in time (requiring a twitch). If no one declares on the exposed player and the cycle ends with the twitch unused, the player can burn it at the end of the initiative order to duck back into cover for free, without a check. Certain weapons with tags like explosive and armor-piercing can bypass cover and make attacks without exposing the wielder. Otherwise, to attack characters in cover, they must be flanked (see below). Called Shots Called shots target specific locations: a head, a grenade, a chain, etc. To make a called shot, a Taker must spend a twitch to take careful aim and a tactic to attack. Additionally, the Taker moves to the end of the initiative order, and the attack check has the precision requirement. A called shot fails if the character is struck while taking aim or is otherwise distracted. On a success, the location is struck regardless of what the Red lands on. Will may be spent to change the results. Either way, the character does not return to their original place in the initiative order. FIrIng Into Melee Firing into melee combat requires a Precision check (no extra charges can be spent). If the Shoot check fails, the attack hits an ally. If it’s a called shot that fails, the shot misses both targets unless it’s a critical failure. In general, using a gun to interrupt a wrestling match is a bad idea if either participant is a friend. Flank If an enemy is in cover, PCs can make Athletics check to go around the sides and Combat Maneuvers and SpecIal Cases Certain moves in combat provide bonuses, effects, and protections. Most of these maneuvers work by spending tactics and twitches special ways. A list of combat maneuvers is explained below and summarized in the Combat Summary Cheat Sheet (see p. 490) Block A Taker might want to make sure damage lands on an armored limb rather than a soft, vital organ. Blocking an attack involves rolling an Unarmed, Melee, or Resistance to avoid an attack instead of Athletics and counts as the use of a twitch. Failure means the attack lands normally. Success means the damage is directed to the gear or hit location used to block. For instance, if Falstaff uses Melee: Sword to block an incoming spear thrust, a success takes one charge of the sword and does no damage to Falstaff. Alternately, if Falstaff is unarmed and just wants to make sure the blow lands on his chainmail armored arm rather than his vulnerable thighs, he can make an Unarmed check to direct the damage to a hit location of his choice. Firearms cannot be blocked and, as most human enemies use them, blocking has limited utility in traditional conflicts. Blocking is more useful when fighting casualties oneon-one; the beasts’ jaws can clamp down on an armored arm or tool while the Taker’s other hand delivers the killing blow. Cover The enemy can see you and you can see them. Or neither of you can see each other. Unless somebody is blinded, this is always the case. If you’re behind a shield and pop up to take a shot, the enemy can hit you as you pop up. If you’re behind the shield and it’s actually cover (e.g. bulletproof), you can’t be hit and you can’t attack. Cover requires an Athletics check to get to unless the player started out in cover by

286 Full Defense Sometimes it’s wise to prioritize staying alive. In this instance, full defense is a good choice. Full defense converts a tactic into a twitch. The original twitch can go off whenever prompted by Market forces, but the second can’t be used until the player declares full defense on their initiative order. From that point on, twitches respond to threats normally and can be used whenever prompted, regardless of initiative. Declaring full defense is much more effective at the top of the round than bottom. Full Offense Full offense converts a twitch into another tactic and moves it to the end of the initiative order. This allows for a second attack in the same round. Full offense must be declared on a player’s initiative and, once the twitch is converted to a tactic, it can’t revert back into a twitch until the initiative cycles again. The second attack moves to the end of the initiative order and resolves normally, factoring in any penalties accrued as a result of the player’s no-holds-barred strategy. GrapplIng It’s possible a Taker wants to restrain a target without doing damage. If the opponent is another Taker, make an opposed Unarmed check (see p. 178), and repeat the contest for every round the wrestling lasts. Against Market forces, make an Unarmed check against the target. On a success, the target is grappled. Make an Unarmed check every subsequent round to keep the target restrained. If at any point the check is failed, the target escapes and declares attacks normally. If the Taker is damn fool enough to try and wrestle a casualty or Vector, make an Unarmed check to get in close without being bit. If the first check succeeds, every subsequent check to maintain the hold is made with Resistance, rather than Unarmed; the undead are not deterred by the pain of a joint lock, and they aren’t trying to get away flank the enemy. The number of Athletics checks required is always one; if the distance is longer, the Market should clarify the number of rounds it takes to get around the side of the target and call for a task action. Additional Athletics checks in a lengthy flanking maneuver aren’t to get into position; they are to avoid being hit by other NPCs, burning twitches on dodge opportunities. As such, it’s wise for flanking PCs to start in cover, go on full defense (see below), and use both twitches to stay safe. NPCs attempting to flank can be seen running to better ground, and attacks against them are declared and resolved normally. If an enemy or PC is flanked, they are not in cover to the flanker. The flanker can declare actions against them, or the defender can move and open themselves to declarations from other combatants. Suppressing an enemy in cover and sending someone else to flank is a very effective strategy.

287 declared against a Taker refreshing their gear resolve if they aren’t in cover. The only exception to this rule is certain upgrades allowing some weapons to be reloaded with any twitch actions left over in a round. Drawing a new weapon costs a tactic as well, as does stowing any other tool currently held in the hands. Drawing a weapon from a backpack is a task action costing one combat round. Sometimes this may be too long for a Taker that wishes to survive. In such instances, the player can declare a “quick draw.” This prepares a weapon stored on the belt or back using only a twitch action. Nothing stored in a backpack is eligible for a quick draw, and anything held in the hands before a quick draw has to be dropped to the ground. No gear with the cumbersome quality may be quick drawn. Rush Takers can burn both a tactic and twitch to rush the enemy. This must be declared on their initiative. The Taker makes an Athletics test. If it succeeds, the Taker uses their twitch as another tactic and performs a Melee or Unarmed attack that resolves at the same time. If the first Athletics test fails, the Market forces get a free attack. The player can choose to eat the damage and finish the attack, or use their twitch to break off the assault and try to dodge. Spray If a weapon possesses the spray upgrade, on a successful attack a PC can burn three additional charges for a free attack. The Shoot check must succeed first, but then, upon burning the three charges, the player can choose to deal damage again to the same target or make a separate attack on a nearby target. Against humans, the second attack only lands on a Precision check and uses the damage of that second dice check. Against casualties and Vectors, the second attack hits automatically. NPCs can also spray if they have a capable weapon. It requires a successful hit as so much as burrow inside you. If the grappled creature is bleeding, infection is also a possibility. Knockback Some weapons cause knockback damage, allowing the attacker to narrate that the target is either knocked prone or into some nearby portion of the environment (spinning blades, for instance). The blow itself does no extra damage, but the target has to waste a tactic to climb up from a prone position. The effects of a knockback can be resisted with a twitch – characters must make a Resistance check to stay stationary/upright. Ready Some players are methodical types that like to ensure every check is a success. For those players, there is the ready action. To ready an action, the Taker must abstain from all actions for one round; they may not perform a tactic, twitch, or task, and they must not be struck or otherwise affected by the actions of Market forces. After a character has been ready for a full cycle of the initiative order, they can do one of two things: 1) move to the top of the next initiative order for the next round only 2) roll Black + Skill + Potential for the next check These effects are cumulative, so if a Taker takes two rounds to ready an action, the check can add Potential and moves to the top of the next cycle of initiative order. ReloadIng and RearmINg If a tool runs out of charges and is static, it’s just broken. If a tool is charged or capped, it can be refreshed if the player has sufficient ADP. Whether a gun is out of bullets, a crossbow is out of bolts, a laptop is out of batteries, or a first aid kid is out of bandages, it takes a full round of combat to fish spare charges out of a backpack. Refreshing is a one combat round task action; any actions

288 rations for his Melee attack with his hammer. The weapon is static and the player is trying to conserve energy now, so BanHammer’s only adding his skill. He rolls and adds his Melee (+2). He gets a B8+2/R7 for a total of Black 10. It’s a hit. Normally, BanHammer would have to take a charge off his melee weapon as it smashes into something solid, but the sledge has been upgraded to sturdy and withstands the impact just fine. However, BanHammer’s player wants the knockback effect from the weighted upgrade, so he burns a charge off the hammer anyway. The damage is resolved instantly: Bad Guy A takes a hammer blow to the chest for 8 Stun and 8 Kill damage. The Market gave these forces 20 hit boxes in that location, but the blow still almost incapacitated Bad Guy A instantly. Note that had the Black landed on a critical success, or if Banhammer had been able to make a called shot, Bad Guy A would be dead. But he’s still got four hit points left. He’s knocked back by the blow, but that means he can’t move until he wastes a turn standing up; he can still attack whilst on his back. Bad Guy A obviously wants to shoot BanHammer. BanHammer’s player wants to make his Athletics check to dodge, but the Market reminds him that he already used his twitch to rush. Having rushed blindly ahead in a frenzy, BanHammer is hit with a shot by Bad Guy A’s rifle. The Market rolls B7/ R10. OUCH! With previous injuries, that’ll kill BanHammer outright if he doesn’t have a helmet on. He doesn’t, so BanHammer’s player spends his last point of Will to shift the Kill damage to his chest (see “Will to Live” p. 283). BanHammer takes 7 Kill damage to the torso as a bullet rips between his ribs. Bad Guy B is reasonably more concerned with the madman wielding a cudgel amongst his ranks, and he’s on the same initiative as A, so he’s declaring an attack on BanHammer too. That crazy rush doesn’t seem like such a good idea now. With no chance for a twitch, BanHammer is struck by a pistol round... the Market rolls B2/R1, hitting the right leg (R1) for two damage (B2). well, but afterwards it is treated as another declared attack that goes off on the same round. For instance, if a PC burned a tactic for Athletics as part of a Rush, failed and got hit, then had the same NPC spray him, the PC could still use his twitch in an attempt to dodge the second attack. SuppressIng FIre If an opponent is in cover and the attacker doesn’t want them to leave, they can lay down suppressing fire. To do this, a PC just spends three rounds off their weapon, knowing it will bounce harmlessly off the cover. However, the NPC remains pinned behind that cover so long as the PC keeps spending rounds and exposing themselves to attack. Anyone laying down suppressing fire is not considered in cover. NPC’s can suppress PC’s too. If the player still insists on leaving cover, they must make a Self-Control check threatening Trauma AND use a successful twitch to dodge if they don’t want to get hit. Example Combat Round BanHammer dislikes guns; he prefers to crush enemies with his warhammer. BanHammer’s player asks if any of the enemies are in melee range. The Market responds they are not, but with BanHammer’s superior initiative he could rush to close the distance. BanHammer likes this plan. He spends a charge of rations to buy-a-roll, and an additional three charges of rations for a +3. With BanHammer’s Athletics modifier (+3) and the three spends, that’s a total of +6 to the check. He really wants to get at these guys. BanHammer’s player rolls B7+6/R2, for a total of B13/R2. Turns out he didn’t really need to exert himself that much, but, damnit, he wants blood. The ex-raider goes tearing across the open ground, screaming and whirling his hammer. The Market asks if BanHammer wants to burn his twitch to make an attack immediately (the second part of a rush). Of course he does! He spends

289 charges on a precision check. If he hits, the Market force will be killed, regardless of the damage. Called shots to the head kill Market forces instantly (see “Market Forces” p. 291). If he fails, he’ll hit BanHammer (see “Firing Into Melee” p. 285) Monk rolls B7+2/R4; that’s B9/R4 with Monk’s skill added. Success! The pistolwielding thug slumps to the ground with a round between the eyes, dead instantly. With only a single, prone foe left gunning for him, that will help the injured BanHammer survive the next round. LootIng The Dead To the victors go the spoils. Players are going to want to ransack the bodies of anyone they kill. That’s fair; making a garage sale of anyone dumb enough to fuck with you is a viable business model in the Loss. Looting casualties is its own challenge (see “Looting the Undead” p. 301). For humans, anything the Market narrated the enemy as having is fair game. So, if the Market said the forces were shooting mortars at them, the mortar tube is still there when artillery team is defeated (provided, of course, it wasn’t damaged). If the plot revolved around retrieving the Maltese Poodle, the enemies have it so long as the Market says so. The same goes for allies. If it was on one your buddies’ character sheet, you can pick it up off his corpse. If the Market doesn’t know what the forces were equipped with either, the choice goes to the players. For every slain human combatant, one Taker can make a Scavenge check. This DOES NOT mean every member of the crew can rummage through the pockets of every single corpse until they find something. Total # of Scavenge checks = number of slain Market forces ≤ number of available Takers. So if a group of five Takers kills one raider, one member of that crew can make one Scavenge check. If two raiders were slain, the crew could make two checks, but the other three members of the crew have to stand Bad Guy C is the leader of this little group and hates Gnat more than anything else. Ignoring the struggle next to him, he aims to kill that little interloper. Bad Guy C’s declaration of an attack on Gnat demands her twitch. Gnat’s player can choose to ignore the risk and take the hit, saving her twitch for something else. But with an assault rifle bearing down on her, she decides it’s time to move. Gnat uses her twitch for an Athletics check to dodge. She buys-a-roll with one ration charge, decides she really doesn’t want to get hit, and spends four more charges. With her +1 Athletics, that’s a total of +5 to the check. She rolls B6/R6. That’s a crit success! Gnat asks if she can have her extra charges back as a reward for the critical success and the Market says yes. She scrambles out of the way as a swarm of bullets tears up the ground where she just stood. Now it’s Gnat’s turn for tactic. She needs to hack the drone surveillance these goons’ friends are no doubt using to pinpoint the firefight’s location and send reinforcements, and she doesn’t want to get shot in the process. Her player asks if there is any cover around (see “Cover” p. 285), and the Market says there is: an outcropping of rocks she can duck behind lies a dozen yards away. She spends a ration to buy another Athletics check and leaves it at that. She rolls B1+1/R4. Her +1 in Athletics isn’t enough to get her there that round; she’s still stumbling from her desperate bullet dodging, after all. She’ll be eligible for declared attacks next round. Monk sees that BanHammer is hurt and outnumbered. With no one left to shoot at him and no one moving under him in the initiative order, he burns his twitch to take a called shot (see “Called Shots” p. 285) to the uninjured Bad Guy B’s head. All called shots are precision shots, but since he’s firing into melee that would be the case anyway (see “Firing into Melee” p. 285). He spends a round from his pistol to fire, hoping that his +2 in Shoot is enough to get him the profit he needs for a hit, since he cannot spend extra

290 - Critical Success: Bounty equals the natural Black, times two. • An upgrade to a specific piece of gear they already own. - Success: They find the upgrade they’re looking for or materials to craft it. - Critical Success: They find enough material for two upgrades. Markets should keep in mind that looting the dead takes time. Casualties that hear gunfire and smell blood are sure to cut short any graverobbing. Furthermore, there exists no level of badassary that makes rifling through the pockets of a person you just murdered pleasant. Self-Control checks threatening Detachment and Trauma could be in order, and Stress might damage Humanity if nothing is found and all that sin turns out to be for nothing. guard duty. If a crew of five Takers kills ten raiders, they’re still only able to make five Scavenge checks. The one-and-done rules still apply; anything a character is capable of finding is found on the first check and only on the first check. Before rolling to Scavenge, players can say they are looking for one of three things while looting: • Any tool under 3 bounty in upkeep. - Success: They find it. - Critical Success: They find it with an upgrade, or they can pass their success on to the next player making a Scavenge check, allowing them to search for gear of any upkeep cost. If the next player succeeds as well, the item is found. • Bounty - Success: Enemies were carrying bounty equal to the natural Black of the Scavenge check.

291 This isn’t to say that antagonists have endless ammo: if it makes sense for them to run out, the Market can just say so. It’s even better to let the players do it. Inflicting scarcity on the NPCs is a great way to utilize critical success. Roll double-evens on Athletics check and the player can say the attacker’s gun is empty. Crit a block and describe the sound a shattering sword makes. Armor NPC armor negates one attack if the damage type could feasibly be stopped and it only applies for hit locations where it makes sense to wear it. Don’t track charges for armor and don’t let it endlessly absorb attacks to the point of player frustration. Markets should also describe where armor is worn for any player that asks so that Takers can incorporate that into their strategy. NPC wearing a helmet gets hit in the head? They’re okay. Same guy gets hit in the head again? Helmet breaks and the NPC takes damage. Other EquIpment Market forces carry whatever the Market wants, but if it isn’t established in the narrative, don’t worry about it. The exact specifics of what’s in each opponent’s pockets can be determined by the players using the Scavenge mechanics (see “Looting the Dead’ p. 289). HIt Boxes Aside from the number of opponents, the main way the Market can adjust the difficulty and length of combat is through hit boxes. There are three presets: Part-time: These forces only have a general pool of hit boxes. Damage to any location eats away at the pool (unless there is armor on that location). Once the pool is filled with any mix of Stun/Kill damage, the NPC is incapacitated and/or dead. Hit locations can still be used to determine the narrative resolution of attacks. For instance, a part-time Market force is still Market Forces Most people advertise their strength, and hiding one’s ability while carrying actual weapons is a sophisticated form of deception. Even children can tell whether a fight is a good idea or not: bullies steal the lunch money of the chess club member and not the captain of the wrestling team. All of this is to say that there is no reason for Markets to keep the abilities of their forces secret: it complicates bookkeeping, slows down play, and doesn’t make much sense. While there isn’t much paperwork necessary for the Market to run NPC antagonists, it’s included here because there’s no reason to keep that information away from the players. Forces on Paper Running a combat shouldn’t be a chore. What follows are the only statistics Markets should keep track of for human-on-human violence. As always, zombies present their own unique challenges, which can be found in “Blight: Casualties and Vectors” p. 295. Numbers Uh...how many people are fighting? Pretty important thing to know. Weapons There’s no need to know exactly what kind of weapon an enemy is using except for purposes of narrative immersion. Mechanically, it operates off Melee or Shoot. It does Stun, Kill, or Stun + Kill damage. It’s explosive or it isn’t. It can spray or it can’t. Feel free to search through the gear list and equip forces with specific armaments, but doing so isn’t a requirement to run a combat. Remember: don’t give the NPCs anything you don’t want the PCs to loot off their corpses. Charges Market forces don’t use charges because their success or failure is determined by the Taker, not their own rolls. Don’t track them. It’s too much work.

292 and heroic. Therefore, the Market never completely ambushes the group with highthreat enemies; once battle begins, the skill and prowess of the opponent becomes immediately apparent and the Market tells the players what modifiers they need to overcome. Since advantage is supposed to effect the group’s tactical decisions, the details of each level are listed below for the benefit of players and Market alike. TraIned Advantage Most Takers didn’t professionally risk their lives before the Crash; the same can’t be said of some of the military and rebel groups they might encounter. The trained advantage represents the benefit of an extended education in survival and combat. The trained advantage is a modifier that rates the program the forces went through. A 1-point advantage would work for an experienced SWAT officer, whereas a DHQS super-spy might wield 3-points or higher. The number is the modifier applied to dice rolls declared against that NPC. To be clear, the trained advantage modifies players’ rolls targeted against AND prompted by the NPC. Market forces never roll for anything, even if forces have advantage. The modifier could be subtracted from the Black or added to the Red: choose only one. Add or subtract depending on whatever your group finds easier to calculate. Critical success and failure resolves normally. So, if a crew was fool enough to take on a trained team of DHQS stewards with a 2-point trained advantage, a B8/R6 attack wouldn’t hit; the advantage would negate the success by subtracting from Black (mod B8-2/R6) or adding to Red (mod B8/R6+2). Regardless, the adjustment to the success/ failure rate is the same, and ties still go to the Market. Similarly, an B8/R6 attempt to dodge attacks from the Stewards would fail, but damage would be calculated according to the dice as normal. A natural B6/R6 would still be critical success, regardless of any trained advantage. hobbled by a shot to the leg, even though the damage goes to a general pool. Ten hit boxes is a good baseline for parttime forces. Armor makes them slightly tougher, as does increasing the pool. Part-time forces are sufficient – and preferable – for the majority of conflicts in Red Markets. Full-time: These forces have 10 hit boxes in each location (almost like a Taker, but with 10 less in the torso). For instance, an NPC that takes 7 Kill damage to the left arm would be recorded by the Market as “7 l. arm” on a piece of scratch paper. If the next attack hits for 3 Kill damage to the right leg, it’s recorded as “3 r. leg” and the NPC keeps fighting. Once any location (not just the torso or head) fills with Kill/Stun damage, the NPC is incapacitated and/or killed. Full-time forces increase the difficulty of combat by lengthening the amount of time and precision required to down an enemy. Armor increases this time even more. If even more challenge is needed, upgrade to... Management: The Market will need a hit box man, as found on the Character Sheet p. 485, for each NPC at the management level. These Market forces utilize all the same damage rules as the PCs. Management makes combat quite lengthy and difficult, as well as maximizing the amount of paperwork the Market must track. Management-level enemies should be reserved for serious antagonists. If even more tools are required for manipulating the challenge, Markets can add levels of Advantage (see next). Advantage On occasion, the Market may wish to up the challenge with a particularly dangerous foe. Singularly skilled opponents gain the upper hand in multiple ways, using special rules called advantage. The point of throwing extra challenging forces at players is to make the characters’ struggles more desperate, terrifying,

293 Advice for gifted advantage: Market’s should never spring gifted enemies on their players without warning, doubly so if the force is both gifted and trained. The entire point of the endeavor is to emphasize the risk facing such a skilled opponent entails. When the importance of materialism in Red Markets gets internalized by the players, the gifted’s ability to negate the power of their charges is intimidating. Knowingly facing such an opponent makes for a powerful character moment. The very nature of gifted enemies limits their numbers, so crews would be wise to gang up when possible. Otherwise, the one edge PCs have is their investments in skills and Potentials, especially Will. DetermInatIon Advantage The will to survive against enormous odds is what defines Takers. But they’re not the only ones in the Loss with internal reserves, and that same determination can turn towards hate. When an NPC loathes the PCs enough to plot schemes, vow oaths, and single-mindedly pursue their destruction, the Market gives that adversary a determination advantage. Determination is the most dangerous of the advantages because it allows the Market to spend points of Will to flip any check for or against the PCs. The player may roll a natural B10/R1 to dodge... but the Market has Mr. U spend one of his points of Will to flip the dice. Now it’s B1/R10. As they are immensely dangerous as enemies, Market forces with determination advantage are reserved for climaxes of job lines and campaigns. The power of Will points is such that it shouldn’t be used by anyone save the story’s primary antagonists. Advice for determined advantage: Since it has the power to snatch victory from the very hands of players, it’s a sign of good intentions if the Market states how many Will points an antagonist has at the outset of combat. It’s also good to only declare Will spends in line with the determined NPC’s personality. For Advice for trained advantage: People with professional combat skills are valuable commodities not easily risked and, when they are actually deployed, aren’t fool enough to get into a fight where the outcome is in question. As such, Markets should throw trained forces at the players rarely. To overcome such forces, bring overwhelming logistics to bear. Try to elicit help from NPC allies, then focus on charged gear and tactics to overwhelm the opposition with big spends. GIfted Advantage Some people are peak performers: naturalborn savants in certain areas. Sometimes those innate skills happen to be in the area of violence. And, sometimes, gifted killers are out to get Takers. The gifted advantage represents the 1% killers that might draw a bead on the PCs. The gifted advantage should be reserved for singular foes; legends of the Loss whose exploits are as much the subject of rumor as fear. The nearly preternatural skill of such an enemy is long foreshadowed, and the realization that conflict is incoming should provoke Self-Control tests. After all, the crew is facing down the gunslinger Tenpenny Blood, the Denim Ghost, the Vector Twins, or whatever other larger-than-unlife characters were developed over many contracts. Mechanically, all rolls against gifted characters are precision rolls. Charges may only be spent to make a check. There’s no bonus for material advantage; everything becomes a contest of raw skill and luck. If Ribbit is boxing against Tooth-cracker, the best MMA fighter Distributy’s mafia has to offer, a B8+1/R10 isn’t going to save her face – no matter how many ration charges she spends. Ribbit’s Athletics skill is either fast enough or not. Her level of exertion means nothing against the skill of the terrible Toothcracker. In any fight, the bruiser of Distributy predictably breaks another jaw, or someone bests him with raw skill and becomes the new champion. There’s no such thing as “wanting it more” and spending big against a gifted foe.

294 someone is badass enough to have multiple advantages, the prowess should be advertised far in advance. When PCs choose to go up against bad odds for love, family, or other character motivations, getting slain can still add to the narrative. Getting dismembered by an omni-competent wasteland ninja out of nowhere is just confusing. Other types of advantage exist in Red Markets, but they’re individualized to Aberrants. Since Aberrants remain a topic of speculation to some and abject terror to a few, these advantages are supposed to come as a surprise to players. If you work in a zombie apocalypse for a living and something about one of the undead looks weird – aside from the whole walking corpse thing – you should run. Not knowing what mechanical bonuses the monster has reinforces this narrative truth. instance, Mr. U is more likely to spend Will on the character he blames for his financial ruin, but a more disciplined NPC might reserve Will for the most tactically opportune moments. Both of these guidelines keep the gamemaster’s tense climax from descending into accusations of favoritism. Players facing a determined foe have no doubt been gearing up for the inevitable showdown for some time, but so has the antagonist. Determined foes rarely fight alone and defeating one is all about spending character resources carefully. A player can spend a point of Will to upgrade attacks to unflippable criticals or re-flip dice altered by the opponent, but that means getting through the rest of the job without blowing such a powerful resource on some lesser challenge. Other Advantages Giving a Market forces more than one type of advantage makes them extremely deadly. If

295 setting. If they do, the Market is under no obligation to use the examples provided in the book, nor do those pre-made monsters need to behave as suggested mechanically. As such, the mechanics of Aberrants are included in the d10 Aberrants table in “Running the Market” (p. 454) to avoid spoiling the horrific surprise for players. For information on rumored Aberrants that might be known incharacter, check out the Aberrants section in “Lost Things” (p. 160) Dead Weather Casualties are not the antagonists of Red Markets. They’re too dumb to be villainous. They’re so uncoordinated that they end up following the path of least resistance. Most stumble and trip in harsh terrain until they get turned around and wander out of it. They pool around pavement and low elevations like water. If they move with any purpose, BlIght: CasualtIes and Vectors Infected, undead, biters, walkers – the media had a hundred damn names for them before the Blight made them real. What’s one more? Takers ironically refer to zombies as casualties, the censored nomenclature used late in the Crash by the governmentcontrolled media (see p. 55). Most shorten the term to “C’s” (pronounced sees). Casualties are the “traditional” undead: slow-moving, poorly coordinated, cannibalistic corpses. This chapter tells players everything about the mechanics of how they work in the game. It also deals with Vectors – the fast, hemorrhagic stage of early infection – and rules for their use. Aberrants – victims of the Blight that seem to violate the disease’s own principles – are not included here. Aberrants might not even exist in some verions of the Red Markets

296 This means that, yes, the Market could parachute a thousand zombies inside the enclave while the team is out on a job, killing everyone, wiping out savings, and destroying everything the characters ever loved. The Market represents the cruel, capricious uncaring weight of history, and that’s a thing that could happen. If your Market actually does something like that, consider playing Red Markets with someone else... dude sounds like a real asshole. The reason Markets have the power to put zombies wherever they please is because the placement of casualties can tell a powerful story about the job site. If, for instance, all the undead in an abandoned megachurch are found locked up in the daycare, that suggests a far more horrific end than if a roll of the dice places all the casualties safely outside the building. The Market has carte blanche in placing casualties in order to craft better stories. Aside from crafting a more interesting narrative, the Market should place casualties randomly whenever possible. One of the few rolls the Market makes is to generate undead, and it goes a long way towards establishing the unpredictable and dangerous nature of the Loss. Like everything else in Red Markets, generating random zombie mobs is done through the Black and Red. Casualty Stats Casualties come in two sizes: mobs and stampedes. Both types use the same stats, but we’ll deal with mobs first. Groups of casualties are generated with two numbers: • Mass: determined by Black; this is the number of individual casualties in the mob. • Shamble: determined by the Red, this abstraction of distance measures the number of combat turns before the casualties reach the nearest player. Shamble can be altered by the movement of PCs. it’s either towards food or some innocuous location misfired from their dead memories. Stay away from lowlands and landmarks, stay quiet, keep moving, maintain line of sight – most people can get across the Loss just fine. But since the aimless wanderings of casualties are funneled by geography, and their infection likely happened in a major population center, the things are never alone. For every one you see, dozens are creeping closer. They easily corner and devour the unwary. One bite can make a Vector and those sprinting disease carriers can destroy an enclave in minutes. Despite the omnipresent threat, it’s hard to hate them. Sure, casualties want to eat anything they see, but it’s a compulsion. There’s no light in their eyes, no animosity. Every single one was once somebody’s wife, husband, brother, sister, mother, father, best friend, friendly face, etc. Each casualty is a painful reminder of a dead reality and a rebuke to promises of the future. Takers like to tell themselves casualties are monsters when they aim the gun, but they never truly convince themselves they aren’t shooting human beings in the face. I repeat: Casualties are not the antagonists of Red Markets. There is nothing intentional about their actions, and they’re entirely too easy to thwart or pity. Other Takers, believers, corporations, and military groups serve as antagonists in a Red Markets game. It’s best to think of casualties like the weather. People can plan for, defend against, and try to predict the weather. Often, this preparedness saves lives. But sometimes, it doesn’t matter. The Loss consumes whom it pleases. It can creep through vulnerabilities people didn’t know they had, or it can come with the insurmountable force of a flood. The dead weather works the same. Plan for it. Avoid it. Fight it. Just don’t expect to stop it. Casualty Placement Markets have the power to place as many casualties as they want, wherever they want, whenever they want.

297 additional rations spent. On a success, the character manages to avoid being dragged to the ground. On a failure, the mob piles onto the victim. Frenzy Casualties that get within one Shamble of a player smell blood and enter “frenzy.” This means the promise of food has the zombies aroused and moving faster than usual. To move out of melee range, a Taker must either… a) go full defense, spending both tactic and twitch to get some distance. The Market can make this two rolls or one task, according to taste. b) reduce the mob by one, trip up the zombies on their own dead, and use a twitch to get away c) have a comrade reduce the mob by one, stagger the casualties on their own dead, and use either a tactic or twitch to get away d) reduce the mass to zero before the end of the round. For instance, if Prole is engaged with a mob and needs to escape, just making an Athletics check for his twitch action won’t cut it. A success only means he dodged the clawing hands and snapping jaws for that round, not that he’s out of reach. To escape, he needs a successful twitch and tactic. He can go on full defense. To minimize dice-rolling, rather than making two Athletics checks in a row, the Market can say one successful check gets him a number of Shambles away equal to his SPD. The other option is to kill a casualty, use its body to trip up the remainder of the mob, and use a twitch action to escape. Unlike full defense against casualties, this does require two separate checks: a successful attack and Athletics check to move SPD in Shambles away. If the attack fails, the twitch has to be spent dodging attacks rather than flat-out running. If the tactic (attack) succeeds but the twitch (dodge) fails, Prole takes damage from So, if the Market needs to know how many casualties are in a grocery store, roll the dice. B6/R3 means there are six undead (mass) roughly 3 combat turns (shamble) away from the group. The casualties will attack at the end of the third round. How are these stats tracked? Well, the Market should use whatever makes the job easiest, but the dice themselves make a good counter. As opposed to scratch paper, using the Black and Red help both the Market and players keep track of how close the casualties are to striking. In the above example, the Market could use the B6/R3 dice as they lay. If the Takers kill a zombie, the Market moves the Black to show a result of five rather than six (mass reduced by one). After the whole crew has acted, the Red goes down to two, representing the mob coming closer. After another round, the Shamble moves down to one and the casualties can attack anyone close to them at the end of the round. If the characters run away, the Red is raised to represent the distance gained. CasualtIes In Combat The undead are slow. They always go last in any initiative order. If Shamble reaches one and mass remains, the mob attacks the character they just reached. Players may use twitch to make an Athletics check and avoid the grappling horde. If the check fails, damage is done just like in regular combat. A Black die’s worth of Kill damage is done to the Red hit location. If the player has no actions left, the Market rolls the dice and damage is calculated the same. If the mass is above one, the Market has a choice. They can add +1 to the damage for every additional zombie, or they can ask the player to make a test against knockback (see p. 287). When dealing additional damage, add it to the same hit location as the zombies focus in on the precious blood. If the Market chooses knockback, the player makes a Resistance check, adding any bonuses from

298 shots aren’t necessary. Furthermore, decay of muscle and bone tissue means any Kill damage to the head is enough to put the zombie down for good. To reduce the mass of a mob by one, a player needs a successful attack. That’s it. Just one successful attack kills a casualty... but it only kills one. Easy headshots don’t mean much when dozens of monsters are attacking at once. As Takers say, every kill is easy until the one that bites you. To take down the mass of a mob by more than one, players need weapons with special upgrades and qualities: explosive, spray, etc. Instead of increasing damage, weapons capable of hitting multiple locations at once or upgrades that allow charges to be spent after the check can be used for additional kills against mobs. Loud Weapons And AttractIng CasualtIes Casualties are silent. They don’t aspirate audibly and can’t talk. They only make noise when they stumble into things or clack their jaws together in anticipation of a meal. As a result, the Loss is an eerily silent place and loud noises mean only one thing: fresh meat. For every loud weapon used in a scene, the Market can roll to generate a new mob joining the scene, attracted by the noise. The noise only attracts new casualties for every loud weapon used; not every time that loud weapon is used. After the first shot, the second one doesn’t cause another reinforcement mob to show up. The dinner bell has already been rung. The Market decides when to add the reinforcements. Using loud weapons against new mobs counts as a separate use, so the Market gets to roll again. See where this is going? Good Takers fight and run, or they just plain run. Heroic last stands are for those dumb enough to stand their ground. The only exception to the loud weapon rules attracting additional mobs is quarantined locations. Takers that secure all entrances the mob. Attacking and then running is riskier than focusing entirely on escape. Conversely, one of Prole’s crew could slow the beasts down with a successful attack and provide the Taker two chances to escape with Athletics. However, a comrade that comes to assist with a melee weapon exposes themself to the same frenzy, and mobs with more than one mass can easily split attacks. Coming to assist a harried Taker usually means firing a projectile weapon into a melee fight, which brings its own risks (see p. 285). Finally, if all the casualties are decapitated, there’s no problem when Shambles get within range. By using a tactic or going full offense, a Taker within the range of frenzy has one last chance to eliminate the mob before it digs in. This is the riskiest option, as it leaves the Taker little recourse if the attack fails. It’s hard to escape casualties once they are in frenzy. Plan accordingly. DamagIng CasualtIes Casualties don’t take damage traditionally: anything that isn’t a headshot has little effect. However, since casualties can’t do much besides walk straight towards their target at a slow pace, it is much easier to score a headshot than it is on a human target. Called Latents and Immune to the Front The tough spots of “Latent” and “Immune” make for good melee fighters because they don’t have to worry about infection every injury. Takers are one of the few groups that seek these people out for reasons other than persecution and exploitation. They serve a vital function in most successful crews. If someone that isn’t Latent or Immune is going hand-to-hand with casualties, something has gone wrong. They better hope to have some Will left to spend, armor in the right places, or some luck with the dice.

299 they need to move closer to the mob than the person currently setting the shamble. So, for instance, if Prole has a mob closing in at 4 shambles, Kapital would have to move to at least 3 shambles in order to peel. Once closer to the zombies, the Taker needs to use a freebie to get the attention of the undead. The Market can either roll randomly to determine how many casualties “peel” off from the mob, or it can be decided merely by dividing the mob in two. All peeling does is create two mobs out of one; it might make the monsters more manageable, or it might just provide them a second victim. The benefit to such a distraction is a reduced mass for the mob heading towards another player. LurIng “Luring” kites zombies behind a Taker, leading them to a specific location. To lure, make a successful check with a CHA skill (player’s choice). Failure means the mob is too distracted by its current prey. Unless a Taker gets close enough to the mob to become the closest target (peeling), the mob continues after the original victim. A success is loud and boisterous enough to draw the attention of the entire mob and Shamble is reset. However, casualties do not respond to subtly: anything loud enough to get their attention is treated like the use of a loud weapon. Thus, Takers can’t just play “keep away” with mobs endlessly without being overrun, but they can keep amassing followers up until they get cut off from every direction. Once a mob is successfully attracted, the Taker can keep luring them at the cost of one ration per round (you have to stay close). The Market might say difficult terrain or obstacles cost more or call for an Athletics check. Luring in a vehicle can potentially go on as long as there is open road and fuel. Herding large numbers of casualties away from certain areas is a common contract for Takers, and enclaves have been destroyed by rivals luring a massive horde to the city’s gates. and exits before breaking out the big guns can methodically exterminate every casualty in that area. They just have to worry about being locked inside with the ravenous undead and finding a way to escape the horde slowly surrounding the building, trying to get at those delicious gunshots. Casualty SpecIfIc Maneuvers A few combat maneuvers are specific to casualties only: peeling, luring, and chumming. All of these maneuvers count as a tactic. PeelINg Peeling is used to reduce the size of mob headed towards someone else. If the player declares they are peeling for their action,

300 an attack against the 7M/2S mob. He has a total +2 to his check (+2 Shoot). Firearms are charged weapons, so he buys-a-roll and spends an additional charge to make the total +3. Teapot rolls B4+3/R6. A B7/R6 is good enough for a success, and successes are good enough for headshot against the slowmoving casualties. Then the Market asks him if he wants to use his spray upgrade, which grants additional damage at the cost of 3 charges spent after the check. Teapot thinks about it and chooses to spray. He has spent two charges so far, meaning he’ll need three more charges to get the effect. He marks his charges and burns his twitch to take down an extra mass with a spray. Now, Teapot’s weapon is down 5 charges, but the mob lost 2 mass instead of 1. In terms of narrative, either the Market or Teapot’s player could describe a clean hit, followed by a reckless burst that pops another head and chews uselessly through the remaining corpses’ torsos. Killy is busy trying to pick a lock on a security door, but reasoning that Teapot’s death means the task of lockpicking is going to get too difficult, she spends her twitch to put her lockpicks away and her tactic readying her gun. The next round starts with the mob down to 5 zombies, one turn away (5M/1S). Teapot is confident now and declares full offense. He spends a charge to buy-a-roll and gets B5+2/ R9 for Shoot. Close but not quite. He asks the Market if he can spend his remaining charges to score a success. The Market says no because he didn’t declare before rolling, and spray only works after successful aim. He’ll be within reach of the mob at the end of this round. Luckily, Killy sees her comrade’s distress and opens up with an automatic rifle of her own. She buys-a-roll and gets B2/R2. Critical success! She didn’t even need her +3 Shoot. The Market describes a single bullet threading between the eyeballs of two, perfectly aligned skulls. She request to spray ChummIng Chumming involves temporarily directing casualties to an area by providing them a free meal. But the Blight only wants live victims. If a crew wants to ensure the zombies go into the containment area or stick around for the explosion, sacrifices must be made. Animals work; casualties eat anything living, including the carrion eaters that attempt to feed off them. Humans work even better, especially if they’re competition. There’s no skill check required for chumming besides whatever the Taker had to do to get a fresh victim offered to the dead. Once a sacrifice is secured, the victim need only be closer than the Takers for the tactic to work. The casualties always go for the easy kill. The only difficulty in chumming is the psychological damage of watching it happen, which prompts level-2 Self-Control checks against Detachment or worse, depending on who is on the wrong end of the mob. Example Casualty Encounter Teapot is on guard duty while his partner, Killy, picks the lock on a door to the abandoned school’s nursing station. The Market thinks this scene needs a bit more tension. The dice are rolled and land B7/R2. The Market is nice and gives Teapot an Awareness check. It’s a success. Teapot hears footsteps coming from inside what he thought to be an empty classroom right before the door burst open. Teapot now has to deal with 7 mass worth of walking corpses before they close reach him in two combat rounds (or 2 Shamble). The Market calls for Teapot to make a Self-Control check (you never really get used to being attacked by zombies). The dice land B3+1/R1. A professional keeps himself together, despite the unfortunate turn of events. Teapot heard them coming and has an assault rifle ready. Killy can’t do anything while she’s picking the lock. The casualties, as always, act last. Teapot makes his tactic